These restrictions apply to all districts within the village.
(A) Locations permitted. Off-premise signs are permitted in the following locations:
(1) Business and industrial.
(B) Sign size. An off-premise advertising sign is subject to the following size restrictions according to the posted speed limit on the road which the off-premise sign faces:
Posted speed limit (mph) | ≤35 | 36-45 | 46-55 | 56-65 | Limited access |
Maximum sign area (sq. ft.) | 60 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 300 |
(C) Height and location of sign.
(1) The lowest edge of an off-premise sign shall be at least seven feet above the finished grade.
(2) Off-premise signs shall have a maximum height of 30 feet.
(D) Spacing. Off-premise signs shall be:
(1) Set back from the ultimate right-of-way a distance equal to the height of the off-premise sign or 15 feet, whichever is greater.
(2) Located no closer than 25 feet from any property line.
(3) Located no closer than 50 feet from any building, structure, or on-premise sign located on the same property.
(4) Located no closer than 1,500 feet from another off-premise sign on either side of the road measured linearly.
(5) Located no closer than 500 feet from any intersection, or interchange (on/off-ramp).
(6) Located no closer than 1,000 feet from any property line abutting a public park, playground, religious institution, cemetery, school, or residential district.
(7) Not attached to the external wall or otherwise affixed to any part of any building and shall not extend over any public property or right-of-way.
(8) Not located on sewer rights-of-way, or water, electric, or petroleum pipelines.
(9) Not located on a bridge.
(E) Number of signs per lot. There shall not be more than one off-premise sign per lot. Vertically or horizontally stacked signs shall not be permitted.
(F) Content. Off-premise signs shall not display any message or graphic of an obscene or pornographic nature as determined by the Bellville Village Administrator.
(G) Double-sided off-premise signs. Signs may be single or double-sided. However, if the interior angle formed by the face of a double-sided sign is greater than 45 degrees of the face of the paralleled panels are greater than the allowable distance, all sides of such sign shall be considered in calculating the sign area.
(H) Message sequencing. Message sequencing is prohibited.
(I) Construction and maintenance.
(1) All plans for off-premise signs shall be certified by a licensed engineer registered in Pennsylvania.
(2) All off-premise advertising signs shall be constructed in accordance with industry-wide standards established by the Outdoor Advertising Association of America and the Institute of Outdoor Advertising, or their successor organizations. All off-premise advertising signs shall be structurally sound and maintained in good condition and in compliance with Ohio Basic Building Code.
(3) The rear face of a sign-face, off-premise advertising sign shall be painted and maintained with a single neutral color as approved by the Bellville Village Administrator.
(4) Every three years, the owner of the billboard shall have a structural inspection made of the billboard by a licensed engineer registered in Ohio and shall provide the village a certificate certifying that the billboard is structurally sound.
(J) Identification of sign owner. All off-premise signs shall be identified on the structure with name, address, and phone number of the owner of such sign.
(K) Landscaping.
(1) Landscaping shall be provided at the base of all off-premise signs. Trees and shrubbery, including evergreens and flowering trees, of sufficient size and quantity shall be used to achieve the purpose of this section.
(2) Trees greater than four inches in diameter removed for construction of the sign shall be replaced on-site at a ration of one replacement tree for each removed tree using native species no less than three inches in diameter.
(L) Additional regulations. All off-premises signs shall comply with any and all applicable zoning regulations of Bellville, and any and all municipal, state, and/or federal regulations. In the event any other regulation is in conflict with the provisions of this section, the more strict regulations shall apply.
(M) Application/plan requirements. Plans submitted for off-premise advertising signs shall show the following:
(1) The location of the proposed sign on the lot with the required sign setbacks for the property line and ultimate right-of-way.
(2) The location and species of existing trees.
(3) The distance to the nearest existing off-premise advertising sign.
(4) The distance to the nearest right-of-way, property line, building, structure, on-premises sign, off-premises sign, intersection, interchange, safety rest area, bridge, residential district, or institutional use, sewer right-of-way, and water, electric, or petroleum pipelines.
(5) Site plans containing all of the applicable requirements set forth in the Bellville zoning code, as amended.
(6) Certification under the seal by a licensed engineer that the off-premise sign, as proposed, is designed in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws, codes, and professional standards.
(N) Illumination and changeable copy of off-premises signs.
(1) Off-premises signs may incorporate manual changeable copy signs.
(2) Off-premises signs may be illuminated, provided that:
(a) All light sources are designed, shielded, arranged, and installed to confine or direct all illumination to the surface of the off-premises sign and away from adjoining properties.
(b) Light sources are not visible from any street or adjoining properties.
(3) The following illumination types shall be permitted subject to the above regulations:
(a) Message center sign;
(b) Digital display;
(c) External illumination; and
(d) Internal illumination.
(4) Off-premises signs may incorporate Tri-Vision Board. The length of time each message of the Tri-Vision Board may be displayed before changing is based upon the visibility and posted speed limit unique to individual signs and adjacent road conditions. The length of time shall be determined by the Village Administrator at the time of permitting.
(Ord. 28-2018, passed 9-4-2018)